How it all started...
Every church has a story, and ours is built on one simple idea: We want to be a church known for what we are FOR. When we started, we realized that too many people saw the church as being against things rather than FOR people.
So, we decided to be a church FOR our communities. Back then, we called it -- “Making our communities more livable again.” We decided we would serve, love, and invest in people in a way that made a real difference. We would work to make our communities better, stronger, and more hope-filled because we were in the community.And when a church is truly FOR people, it grows.
So, we decided to be a church FOR our communities. Back then, we called it -- “Making our communities more livable again.” We decided we would serve, love, and invest in people in a way that made a real difference. We would work to make our communities better, stronger, and more hope-filled because we were in the community.And when a church is truly FOR people, it grows.
And this is what happened...
Because of our commitment to being FOR our community, we began experiencing remarkable growth. In 1999, we built a new auditorium on our Blountstown to make room for more people. We built a multipurpose building in 2003 and 2004. This shifted our thinking about our buildings. We wanted our buildings to be a community center FOR our communities during the week that our churches would meet on Sunday. With the focus on being a church FOR our communities, we changed the name in 2004 from Bethel Mennonite to Rivertown Community Church:
A church FOR everyone. In 2010, we launched our first multisite campus in Marianna, followed by Chipley 2016 and Wakulla 2019. We’ve also had the privilege of planting two partner churches --Baylife and Homechurch -- to help even more people experience the love of Jesus. At every step, we weren’t chasing growth for the sake of growth—we were simply making space for more people to experience that God is FOR them.
A church FOR everyone. In 2010, we launched our first multisite campus in Marianna, followed by Chipley 2016 and Wakulla 2019. We’ve also had the privilege of planting two partner churches --Baylife and Homechurch -- to help even more people experience the love of Jesus. At every step, we weren’t chasing growth for the sake of growth—we were simply making space for more people to experience that God is FOR them.
Where we are headed...
When we look back, we see God’s hand in every step of this journey. We never set out to become a multisite church, but it’s clear now, this was God’s plan all along.
And now, you’re part of this story. Someone before you was FOR you, and now we invite you to step in and be part of what’s next. God is writing a bigger story—one that He wants you to be part of.
And now, you’re part of this story. Someone before you was FOR you, and now we invite you to step in and be part of what’s next. God is writing a bigger story—one that He wants you to be part of.
